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We spot your boards used often in white water - how did that start ? Whitewater boards are for the bold , the brave , and the slightly bonkers who believe that a good day is spent navigating a river ’ s watery rollercoaster .
We ’ ve been a bit of a hit in the whitewater world . Head to any whitewater spot , and you ’ ll likely see many McConks in the mix . Our boards are like the SUVs of the SUP world : rugged , reliable , and ready for adventure . Our original white water board , the Go Wild 9 ’ 8 , strikes a balance between stability and manoeuvrability , making it a hit among beginner white water enthusiasts . And it ’ s so good it ’ s even won awards .
Then , the inimitable Matt Stephenson asked us to make a more playful white water board that wouldn ’ t just float on water but dance with the waves . So , we gathered feedback , crunched the numbers , and came up with a design described as having ‘ unprecedented secondary stability yet amazingly playful ’. We tried to put the ‘ fun ’ in ‘ functionality ,’ ensuring that you ’ ll have a good time doing it even if you ’ re more likely to be swimming than paddling .
And our Go Wild boards are truly designed with whitewater in mind , by whitewater paddlers , for whitewater paddlers : Handles ? Our boards have plenty , strategically placed for easy recovery because , let ’ s face it , you ’ re going to need them – if you ’ re not swimming , you ’ re not trying hard enough . Our full-length deckpad is like a magic carpet , giving you a soft place to land when the river decides to toss you around . And the 2024 newly designed rocker profile ? It ’ s like the board has its built-in navigation system , responding to your every move with the grace of a ballroom dancer , even if the dance floor is a bit more turbulent .
Ultimately , our relationship with white water isn ’ t just about making boards ; it ’ s about making memories . It ’ s about the stories you ’ ll tell when you ’ ve conquered the rapids or the rapids have conquered you . It ’ s about the laughter from taking on nature at its most playful and unpredictable . And it ’ s about the community built around a shared love for a sport that ’ s as much about the spills as it is about the thrills . So , here ’ s to the trailblazers of the whitewater world ( you know who you are !), who remind us that sometimes , you have to go with the flow .
Do you visit the factory in China where the boards are manufactured ? We don ’ t . As a family and a business , we ’ re conscious of our carbon footprint . We ’ ve not flown for holidays since 2017 and do everything we can to avoid flying . There ’ s no criticism of people who choose to fly – each to their own . Instead , we rely on regular video calls with our suppliers and our on-the-ground QA . In the new ‘ future of work ’ world , it seems a little 1970s to use your business to justify a jolly to the other side of the world .
Would you consider any design aspect of a McConks board your signature idea ? It ’ s the all round package that defines a McConks board , but if we were pushed to pick only one feature , it ’ s probably the multi fin box set up that sets us apart . Most touring boards only come with a central fin , which is fine in most circumstances , but the two ( or four in the case of our whitewater and wind / surfboards ) allow for a much wider range of depths and conditions , and which , combined with the rigidity and robustness , makes our boards such a hit with serious adventure makers .
You are also involved in disability paddling ; what developments do you have in store ? We ’ re proud of what ’ s been achieved in accessible and adaptive paddleboarding . We ’ re only a small part of the solution , and other manufacturers are also playing their part – a big shout out to Whatsup Paddleboards , which offers a range of SUPs designed for users of all abilities .
Our new Go Everyone board will be available to the general public after testing with specialist providers later this year . This wide and stable board can be used with and without outriggers to give users of all abilities a sense of stability and confidence . Central Scotland Adventures has now been using this board with lots of different